A jury convicted a homicide defendant on a lesser-included offense of second-degree murder before DC Superior Court Judge Danya Dayson on May 12.
Jamil Whitley, 38, was initially charged with first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, carrying a pistol without a license outside a home or business, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction greater than a year for his involvement in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Kevin Redd on June 11, 2020 on the 4700 block of Jay Street, NE. Redd sustained three gunshot wounds to his shoulder, chest, and forearm.
After approximately eight days of deliberations, the jury unanimously found Whitley not guilty of first-degree murder, but guilty of second-degree murder while armed. The jury also found Whitley guilty of the remaining three counts.
Whitley’s trial began on April 2. Throughout, the prosecution attempted to prove that Whitley and Redd met at a Shell gas station on the 4300 block of Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE. The prosecution claimed Whitley returned minutes later in a different car, with a mask on, and alone. Redd entered Whitley’s car and they drove to a nearby alley, where Whitley shot and killed Redd.
Whitley’s attorneys, Madalyn Harvey and James Brockway, argued their client was not guilty but that he sold Redd marijuana, dropped him off, and then heard gunshots. The defense also noted investigators did not collect sufficient evidence from the crime scene and the lead detective failed to follow up with potential witnesses.
Whitley’s sentencing is scheduled for July 17.
